


Day 2: "I Can't Take This Anymore"

by SpiderShell



Series: FEBUWHUMP 2021: IronDad [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: "i can't take this anymore", Abusive May Parker (Spider-Man), BAMF Tony Stark, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Poor Peter Parker, Sick Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29134839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiderShell/pseuds/SpiderShell
Summary: It happened so quickly. Of course, Peter understood why, but it felt like his heart had been ripped apart in a way he had never experienced before. Losing his parents as a child and Ben only a year ago had cut deep into his soul, but losing May - losing May had hurt far more than anything.“Get out of my house, Peter Benjamin Parker!” she’d screamed, throwing a bag at him.“Never come back,” she’d spat, pushing him out.“I don’t want to see your face again,” she cried, locking the door after him, leaving him to walk through the apartment building and out in the street lonely, sad, and hurting.
Relationships: Happy Hogan & Peter Parker, Karen (Spider-Man: Homecoming) & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: FEBUWHUMP 2021: IronDad [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136318
Comments: 4
Kudos: 236





	Day 2: "I Can't Take This Anymore"

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** "i can't take this anymore"
> 
> **WARNING** : emotional abuse and starvation

It happened so quickly. Of course, Peter understood why, but it felt like his heart had been ripped apart in a way he had never experienced before. Losing his parents as a child and Ben only a year ago had cut deep into his soul, but losing May - losing May had hurt far more than anything. 

* * *

“Get out of my house, Peter Benjamin Parker!” she’d screamed, throwing a bag at him. 

“Never come back,” she’d spat, pushing him out. 

“I don’t want to see your face again,” she cried, locking the door after him, leaving him to walk through the apartment building and out in the street lonely, sad, and hurting. 

It seemed that finding out the boy she had raised for eight years was Spider-Man had pushed her over. It made sense to Peter - he’d been lying to her for ten months or so, sneaking out of the house most nights - and he’d expected some sort of confrontation sometime in the future.

But he’d never guessed it would be so soon and so devastating. 

* * *

_Day 1_ \- Peter had spent the night on top of the roof of the apartment building, sleeping in a web-hammock. It hadn’t been particularly comfortable, but he thought of it as punishment for what he’d done to the person who had become like his mother. 

As soon as the sun rose, he changed into normal clothes, packing the suit carefully into the backpack May had tossed at him, and sat on the damp ground near the apartment building’s door. Everyone going and coming into the complex would see him huddling like a cold, hungry, homeless boy (which, coincidentally, he was), but he needed to be able to intercept May as she left for her first shift. 

“Aunt May,” he called as she marched out the door, tucking her keys into her purse. “Please, I’m sorry!”

At first she ignored him, her face stone cold, but when he tugged on her arm, pleas growing desperate, she spun to face him. Fierce anger sparked in her eyes and blossomed in her cheeks as she looked at him. For a moment, he thought that she would change her mind. Hope kindled, but as he stepped closer, mouth open and words forming on his lips, she lifted her hand and struck his cheek. Fire swept across his face as he stepped back with a gasp. 

“What did I tell you?” she hissed, a fist balling at her side. “Get out of here and never come back. I don’t want to see you again, ever. You ruined my life.”

Peter choked back a sob as he watched her catch the bus and melt into the crowd of people sitting and gripping the rails. As the number plate faded into the traffic of New York, so did his last hopes. 

He mindlessly walked through Queens, stopping at a deli store at sundown to buy something to put in his stomach. For once, his Parker Luck hadn’t screwed with him even more, and he had a total of $100 in his wallet. He’d have to make it last, but at least he could buy food. 

He settled himself on a park bench for the night. Backpack tucked to his chest and arms clutching it tight, he tried to stay as warm as possible before drifting off to a fitful sleep. 

* * *

_Day 2_ \- Today was Friday, his “intern” day with Tony Stark, and Peter knew that he’d have to come up with a plan so that his mentor didn’t grow suspicious. He couldn’t drag anyone into this mess. It was his burden to bear, and it was a punishment for all the ways he had betrayed May. 

_Hey Happy, can you meet me at Delmar’s? School let out early,_ he texted at quarter part two, anxiously pacing in front of the sandwich deli. He’d changed into a fresh set of clothes, smoothing his hair back so he looked like he’d just rushed out of school instead of sleeping on the street for two days. 

“Get in the car, kid,” Happy said gruffly as he pulled up to the curb. 

“Hey Happy!” Peter chirped, sliding into the back seat and forcing himself to act like his normal self. 

With a grunt, Happy pulled up the privacy window. Peter, relieved that Happy couldn’t see him anymore, slumped onto the seat, staring out the window blankly. 

He found himself pushing his troubles to the back of his mind, almost forgetting them, as he worked alongside Tony. For a few hours, he was able to pretend that he was Peter Parker, a boy who still had a home and a family. 

“Kid? You seem distracted,” Tony commented as their time together drew to a close. “Got something on your mind?”

“Wha - oh. Yeah. Yeah,” Peter stuttered back, fingers tugging on the worn straps of his backpack as he gathered all his things and placed them neatly in the bag. “Just school,” he lied. “Midterms are coming up soon.”

“Ah.” Tony nodded, seemingly satisfied that no existential crisis was happening, to his knowledge. “Tell me if you need help studying,” he added after a few moments. 

Peter turned to look at Tony. “Really?” he asked incredulously - Tony had never offered to help him before. 

“Yeah. Midterms suck.”

Taking a shaky breath, Peter glanced up at his mentor and then down at his backpack. “Thanks, Mr. Stark, but I’m good.”

“Okay, kid,” Tony responded, picking up Peter’s spider suit from the worktable and placing it in his bag for him. “Happy’s gonna drop - whoa, you have a lot of stuff in here.”

Peter snatched the bag away from Tony, heart beating rapidly. “I need a lot of stuff,” he said defensively. 

“Alright, alright.” The man held up his hands. “I was just curious.” Seeing Happy standing at the top of the stairs, he pushed the kid towards him. “See you next week.”

After Happy dropped him off in front of his apartment building, Peter waited a few minutes before jogging off to find someplace to sleep. A few blocks away, he saw a small alley with a tiny space between two rubbish bins, just enough for him to squeeze inside. The hot exhaust from an air con unit was blowing right into his new “home”, so Peter counted his discovery as a win.  


* * *

_Day 3_ \- Peter was ignoring his phone. Ned and even MJ, wondering why he hadn’t turned up to school yesterday or even let them know that he wasn’t going to make it, had been blowing up his phone with text messages and calls. He was grateful for such amazing friends that cared about his well being, but he didn’t know if he would be able to talk to them without telling the truth. He was a terrible liar. 

He tripped and fell into a puddle on the back back to his cubby hole, so the only normal clothes he had were now wet and dirty.

* * *

_Day 4_ \- Sunday dawned cloudless but cold, a sure sign that winter was fast approaching. Peter wandered the streets, rubbing his arms to stay warm, and wasted $20 on buying dinner.  


* * *

_Day 5_ \- Peter woke up to a wet, cold feeling all over his body. When he opened his eyes, he saw white snowflakes falling, somehow getting into his shelter, and soaking his clothes. Knowing that he couldn’t thermoregulate (due to his spider DNA - the Parker Luck strikes again) and was at a risk of hyperthermia, Peter slipped on his suit. 

_Welcome back, Peter,_ his AI greeted him. 

“Karen, turn the heater on as high as it goes,” he said, bouncing on his toes to get the feeling back into them. As the warmth spread from the top of his head to his feet, he sighed and leant up against the wall. It wasn’t as warm as snuggling under a thick blanket on a cold day, but it would keep him alive. That was the best he could do. 

* * *

_Day 6_ \- Someone stole his phone. Correction - someone stole his entire backpack, which had his phone in it. Left with nothing but his suit, Peter huddled by rooftop exhaust pipes, straining for warmth. He coughed, his chest spasming as he fought to catch his breath. Even though he knew he was gambling with danger, he left his mask off. He didn’t want Karen to contact Mr. Stark just because he had a cold. 

His money ran out. He spent the last five dollars on a cheap sandwich, shoveling the food into his mouth when he was alone. 

He toyed with the idea of calling Mr. Stark to ask for help. “No,” he said to himself. “Mr. Stark’s got enough to worry about without taking on my problems. I can last on my own.” Looking at the gray skyline, he rubbed his red nose, tucked his hands into his armpits, and trudged down the street, red boots leaving deep prints in the snow. 

* * *

_Day 7_ Peter was up as soon as the sun rose. Shivering and a deep ache in his stomach, he listlessly sat and stared into nothing. He was tired, so tired. 

* * *

_Day 8_ \- He had never felt so hungry and cold in his life. The heater in his suit broke, forcing him to pace up and down the street to stay warm. Time passed, and his mind spun, his feet stumbling as his energy slowly drained to nothing. It began to rain, and when Peter staggered back to his shelter, he found it had been taken over by a homeless man who snarled at him when he came near. 

Peter found himself in a park somewhere in the middle of the city. Eyes slipping closed, he dropped to his knees on the grass and reached for his mask, pulling it over his head. 

“I can’t take this anymore,” he mumbled. “Help.”

His limp body fell to the ground. 

* * *

Music blaring behind him, Tony swung his chair around to grab a screwdriver. Just as his fingers almost touched it, FRIDAY unexpectedly dimmed the audio. _You have received a distress signal from Peter Parker’s suit AI,_ she said. 

“What!?” Tony leapt up, making his way to the nearest chair. His heart was pounding. It was far too early for Peter to be on patrol. What had happened?

_The following audio has been forwarded._

_“I can’t take this anymore. Help.”_ Peter’s exhausted and terrified voice came through the speakers, sounding more hopeless than Tony had ever heard him. What had happened to him?

“FRIDAY, track Peter’s location,” he barked, propelling out the window. 

* * *

Finding Peter’s limp body on the ground was something Tony never wanted to experience ever again. Calling out to Karen, the boy’s ridiculously named AI, he was able to gather that Peter’s heart was still beating, but that he needed medical help as soon as possible. 

Picking up Peter, who felt lighter than he remembered, he sped back to the tower, alerting medical on the way. His own personal doctors took Peter as soon as they arrived, hooking him up to an IV and removing his suit. 

“Tony,” Helen said softly, as the spider suit was pulled away from Peter’s body. The man looked up from where he had been sitting, his face going white. Peter was stick thin, his ribs and shoulders poking through his skin. His face was drawn, unnaturally pale. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Tony murmured, heartbroke as he reached out to touch the boy’s forehead and feeling the heat burning into his hand. “What happened?”

“We cannot know for sure until he wakes up,” Helen replied sadly. 

* * *

Tony stayed by Peter’s side, not daring to leave him. Something had happened between now and the previous Friday when he had come to work in the lab. He picked up his phone to call May, to tell her what had happened to Peter, but the call was hung up almost as soon as it began to ring. 

Peter’s face scrunched, and his eyes slowly blinked open. “Mr. Stark?” he asked, his voice quiet and exhausted. 

“Hey, Pete,” Tony said, smoothing his hair. “You’re okay.”

A faint smile appeared on his lips. “Knew you’d come for me.”

“Pete, what happened? Please tell me,” Tony begged. “You’re so thin. You weren’t like that last Friday.”

Peter’s face crumpled and his body wracked with sobs. “She kicked me out,” he wailed, hands clawing at his face desperately. 

“Who did?” Tony asked in horror, pulling the boy’s hands away and trapping them in his own. “Who did this to you?”

“M-May,” Peter stuttered through his tears. 

Tony was struck speechless. What? His aunt couldn’t have done this, could she? “Why?” he asked eventually. 

“Found out I was Spider-Man,” Peter answered, his eyes seeing something far away. “Made me leave.”

Anger burned through Tony. HOW DARE she treat him like that! “She’s going to pay,” he promised the distraught boy. “She almost killed you. It’s not your fault.” He moved to sit on the bed, wrapping his arms around Peter and rocking him to sleep. “I’ll keep you safe, Pete.”

**Author's Note:**

> Love you guys, and see ya tomorrow!! ✌🤙


End file.
